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Now that the Apple Watch is close to launch, Apple is getting its stores ready to sell the wearable -- and apparently, that involves turning its T-shirt-wearing staffers into fashion gurus. A 9to5Mac leak has revealed that the company is asking retail employees to suggest different watches based on how you dress and your lifestyle, much like you'd expect when buying a pair of designer glasses. Yes, that specialist may suggest a colorful watch because you have a "fun style" (ack), not just because it's the best your budget allows. Apple is reportedly aware that you might want to skip the spiel and will have areas for people who already know what they want, but you'll want to be prepared for some beauty banter if you're undecided.

How do you make a smartwatch appeal to the fashion set? By bringing it into their natural habitat: Ridiculously expensive retailers in fashion hubs. French news sites are reporting (via 9to5Mac) that Apple is setting up booths for the Apple Watch within high-end Paris stores like Galeries Lafayette (above) on the Champs Elysees. Don't forget that Apple isn't just targeting tech geeks with its smartwatch, it's also aiming at the same deep-pocketed consumers that keep the Swiss watch industry alive. To compete with the likes of Rolex and Richemont (whose watch brands include Cartier and Piaget), it needs to be in the same stores. And while the Apple Watch will start at $350, its fancier steel and gold versions will push its price into territory that the company's traditional devotees might have a tough time stomaching. Judging from the reports we've heard, the steel watch could go for more than $500, while the gold Apple Watch Edition could go for several thousand dollars.

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appleApple WatchfashionGaleries LafayettemobilepostcrossFri, 20 Feb 2015 10:12:00 -050021|21144894http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/31/recommended-reading-1-31-15/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/31/recommended-reading-1-31-15/http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/31/recommended-reading-1-31-15/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsRecommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.

With the revival of VR, it's important that we take a look back to the last big push for virtual reality. Kill Screen recently dedicated an entire issue to the topic, including a piece that recalls what VR was like in the '90s, when it was all circle pods, massive headsets and plastic guns. Ah... the good ol' days.

Need help choosing today's outfit? There's an app for that. It's called ClosetSpace and in addition to the aforementioned feature, it also offers an on-demand pro stylist ($25/month) and outfit recommendations based on the weather. It all works based on you either uploading photos of individual pieces or adding them from retailer catalogs, and it'll analyze your collection and offer deals from brands and services based on what's in your closet. The app's available for Android and iOS, too. What's more, should you want to offload a few pieces, in the future the app'll connect you to secondhand marketplaces where you can list them with one click, according to TechCrunch. Sounds pretty futuristic, yeah? Well, we're guessing that if all you wear is American Apparel tees and Levis, this might not be nearly as useful.

These are the shoes we'd imagine Lady Gaga would wear if she were Cinderella. As much as they look like crumpled aluminum foil, though, their designers, Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves, were inspired by something a lot bigger: the rough surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, where ESA's Philae lander is currently sleeping. In the absence of actual Churyumov-Gerasimenko samples, the duo collectively known as Studio Swine, 3D-scanned meteorites at the Natural History Museum in London after securing sponsorship from Microsoft. They meshed various scanned surfaces together and formed the shoes' base shape using aluminum foam. A CNC mill then scooped out part of the structure for the wearer's feet (these are shoes, after all), which was then lined with soft Italian leather. Despite the rugged ultra-metallic look, the designers claim these heels are nearly weightless, as aluminum foam is 90 percent air. We guess fashion doesn't always have to hurt after all.

If you've ever wanted to see yourself in a few different outfits before deciding on your next wardrobe, Neiman Marcus now lets you view them side by side. The retailer's Memory Mirror takes video and stills of what you try on for comparison, in addition to 360-degree views so you can see all the angles and items in different colors. As you might expect, snapshots from the digital mirror can be shared, so you can ask your Facebook friends if red really is the best choice. There's also an option to share the session with a salesperson so they can recommend new items next time. Right now, the Memory Mirror is only installed at the Walnut Creek, California location, but other units should be in place by the end month. Hopefully it works with men's clothes, too. %Gallery-slideshow259693%

Silk? Meh. Taffeta? Blergh. When it came time to craft her latest dress, Dutch artist Anouk Wipprecht instead turned to 3D printing and one of Intel's teensy Edison modules for something truly special. The end result? A "spider" dress that leaps to defend its wearer when it senses motion. (Our internal pedants would point out that the six legs make it more of an insect dress than a spider dress, but we digress).

Some of fashion's most innovative designers showed off their high-tech collections at the Make: Wearables on the Runway fashion show at Engadget Expand in New York. Make: Magazine Contributing Editor Matt Richardson introduced each designer's work, along with Adafruit's Becky Stern and Associate Professor Kate Hartman. Check out some of their cutting-edge creations in the gallery below. %Gallery-slideshow242135%

As beautiful as the look of the Moto 360 is, there are people who would prefer something that's styled more like a traditional watch. For this, the MB Chronowing, created by fashion designer Michael Bastian and engineered by HP, could be the perfect solution. The new wearable, which will be compatible with iOS and Android, combines smartwatch features with an appearance reminiscent of older watches. Aside from that, the MB Chronowing can let you control your music right from your wrist, as well as display email/text notifications and sync with a calendar or alarm. And, better yet, it does these things while looking quite elegant -- after all, it does come from a fashion designer.

Samsung, Pebble, LG and others may have already released a good handful of smartwatches, but most are too bulky or masculine, and we've yet to come across one that's dedicated to the ladies. That's about to change thanks to Omate, whose team of women led the designing and engineering efforts on the upcoming Lutetia. Most notably, we're looking at a near-circular, always-on transflective LCD that's similar to the one featured on the Alcatel Wave, and it's covered with a curved, sapphire-coated glass piece. The body -- available in silver, rose gold and gold -- comes in shiny stainless steel with matching beaded wristband for a premium feminine look. %Gallery-slideshow232503%

Would you buy an Apple Watch if the fashion industry named it the "it gadget" of 2015, even if you couldn't care less about what it can do? What about if it became a cover model? That's exactly what is happening, as it's slated to grace the cover of Vogue China's November issue, merely a month after it made its first public appearance at Paris Fashion Week. Clearly, Cupertino wants to present it as a chic device for the tech-savvy fashionista. According to Vogue China EIC Angelica Cheung, she met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and head designer Jony Ive way before the watch's September 9 unveiling, hinting that the company always meant to put some focus on fashion when it comes to marketing this particular product. If you're wondering which variant gets the honor, it's the fancy 18-karat gold one (check out the image after the break), though you'll see other versions in the editorial spread inside.

We heard plenty about Intel's wearable aspirations for 2014 back at CES, and since then it has announced collaborations with the likes of SMS Audio and more. Fossil was named as having a plan for Android Wear, and as of today the two are officially in cahoots. Unfortunately, details are scarce at this time, as we're left with the announcement that the pair aims to team up on "emerging products and technologies that will be developed for the fashion-oriented consumer." Judging by the wording of the PR, it seems that Fossil has more than watches on its agenda, and the outfit designs jewelry, handbags, wallets and more in addition to the traditional timepieces like the one pictured above. Of course, MetaWatch is an offshoot of the lifestyle company, and this is the latest in a group of accessory brands diving into the wearable craze.

When it comes to putting computers on our bodies, everyone's an armchair Anna Wintour. Take a look at the comments on any story about wearable technology, just about anywhere. Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. And with good reason. While some of us view our PCs, smartphones and tablets as status symbols, our clothing and accessories are more closely tied to our identities than anything else.

If you've read George Orwell's1984, you know of Big Brother's constant surveillance tactics. Taking inspiration from the book, and in response to present-day tracking methods, clothing maker The Affair is looking to Kickstart the 1984 Stealth Fashion collection. Thanks to a removable UnPocket, your phone remains "untrackable and unhackable" from inside the line's workshirt, chinos, jacket and blazer. That pocket is made of police-grade shielding fabric that blocks cellular (700 MHz-2 GHz), WiFi (2.4 GHz), GPS (1-2 GHz) and RFID (13.56 MHz) signals to help combat the peering eye of government overlords. So if you're ready to join Winston Smith, that UnPocket requires a pledge of $29 (£18) and the clothes start at $98 (£59). You may want to act now though, 'cause retail prices are set to get a bump.

Have you ever wanted smartwatch notifications without the convenience of having something on your wrist? No? Apparently, no one told that to the design team at Suzi Roher. The fashion outfit's new Urban Tech Belt includes a "digital watch computer" that lets you check calls, play music and read messages without grabbing your smartphone... which is stored in a holster just a few inches away. Yes, you're supposed to avoid reaching for a pocket or bag by reaching for your belt. Not much of a time-saver, really. And did I mention that this will cost a steep $725 when it arrives in January? Fashion and technology produce some beautiful things together, but this time you're better off buying one of Roher's usual belts and rolling the savings into a stylishsmartwatch that will actually make your life easier.

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beltfashionmobilepostcrosssmartwatchsuziroherurbantechbeltwearableMon, 25 Aug 2014 02:23:00 -040021|20951697http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/04/fashion-thesis-dresses-you-like-a-thoroughly-modern-link/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Andrew Shields, a student at Parsons the New School of Design, believes that while it isn't easy being green, Link still looks spectacular decked out in viridian. Hyrule's chosen warrior and his companions in The Legend of Zelda are the inspiration for Shields' BFA thesis, a men's clothing line that will be ready-to-wear provided he acquires the necessary funding to see it complete.

"When I was young I wasn't really allowed to play with Barbies or draw dresses in my notebook, so I stopped and played on the computer, and I learned to play video games," explains Shields, in a brief video on Kickstarter. "My thesis is based on The Legend of Zelda, a game that helped shape my childhood and taught me how to explore and navigate through life."

Navigation Awaits, the name of Shields' line, includes 21 items making up seven different outfits. These range from leafy t-shirt and jeans combos that look like Link's preferred outfit for an Avicii show to more avant garde numbers right out of a Cirque de Soleil adaptation of Twilight Princess.

"The Hyrulian wardrobe is pretty diverse and proportions are pretty well developed so I think most people could pull it off," Shields told Joystiq via email. "If there really was a big difference I would say the addition of synthetics and metal notions like zippers."

"I did think on changing the theme of my collection, by taking inspiration from only Majora's Mask, and doing a really dark, twisted collection. Ultimately, I decided a lighter collection would represent the greater whole and thats more what I wanted to do."

Kickstarter
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3dsdsfashionkickstarternintendothe-legend-of-zeldawiiwii-uMon, 04 Aug 2014 13:30:00 -040011|20941425http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/23/leaderboard-how-much-time-do-you-spend-customizing-avatar-outfi/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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OK, I'm spending entirely too much time customizing my avatar outfits in Star Wars: The Old Republic. I originally re-upped my sub in order to polish off my last couple of class stories, but now I've gotten sucked into crafting and, by extension, the substantial outfit collection minigame. Which is bizarre because in meatspace my fashion sense boils down to the first pair of jeans and corresponding t-shirt/sweatshirt that tumbles out of my closet.

What about you, Leaderboard readers? How much time do you spend customizing your MMO avatar outfits? Vote after the cut!

Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!

Even though activity trackers are all the rage, few would call them fashion items. Do you really want explain why you're wearing something so gauche at a wedding or high-brow luncheon? Fitbit isn't happy to have its devices treated as eyesores, though -- it's teaming up with designer Tory Burch to launch jewelry that makes the Flex tracker a little more suitable for upscale gatherings. The newly available collection starts off with a $38 printed silicone bracelet that, to be frank, is just a small step above (?) what you get out of the box; it's more for casual situations than formal galas. If you're up for something more luxurious, you can spring for a brass bracelet or pendant for $195 and $175, respectively. With that said, it's hard to see a truly style-conscious person picking these up in the first place, no matter how nice they look. Many attempts at shoehorning fashion into technology haven'tfared well, and there's a good chance that you'll still look a bit silly with a tracker hanging from your neck. May I suggest using your phone instead? %Gallery-slideshow207097%

We've covered invisibility cloaks, thermal cloaks and acoustic cloaks. But none of those were actual, you know, cloaks. The voluminous CHBL Jammer Coat really is. Created by Austrian designers, apparently with the help of Zoolander and some bedouin tribesmen, it uses metallic fabric to stop radiowaves going to or from any mobile devices carried in its many pockets. It further flummoxes onlookers and CCTV cameras by giving the illusion of "extra limbs," so that your real body parts remain hidden behind a mass of folds, wave circle patterns and pleased-to-see-me jokes. Alas, you can't actually buy a CHBL Jammer Coat, because it's a statement-making one-off, so genuine escape artists will need to shop for their portable Faraday cages elsewhere.

Diane Von Furstenberg may be better known for wrap dresses than wraparound shades, but her fashion label has actually been a long-term collaborator with Google Glass. The partnership has now resulted in a new "DVF" collection of Glass options, including five new frames and eight new shades with which to customize (and perhaps soften) your futuristic appearance. They'll be available to Explorers in the US from June 23rd, both via Google's own site and from Net-a-porter, although there's no word on how much extra you'd need to spend beyond the $1,500 cost of the beta device itself. On the same day, Google's own Titanium collection will also become available through the Mr Porter online store. Meanwhile, we're still waiting on more sporty options from the likes of Oakley and Ray-Ban, although these might not arrive until Google Glass finally shifts into full commercial mode.

What do you get when you put Autographer, creator of that lifelogging camera we saw in 2013, and quirky British designer Lulu Guinness together? If you guessed a zany handbag for wannabe spies and fashionistas obsessed with documenting their every move, then you'd be right. Guinness took time away from making oversized lip bags to design one with an eye that houses an Autographer camera, which can snap up to 2,000 images per day without you having to lift a finger. If you see tremendous potential in the bag for stalking, spying and creeping on an ex, uh, reasons you'd rather not disclose, you may want to start saving up now. It will be available for a limited time starting on July 30th from Lulu Guiness' stores for £395 ($663).

Forget carrying a separate hotspot router to have a local network wherever you go -- what if you were the hotspot? Fashion designer Borre Akkersdijk has come very, very close to making that vision a reality with his experimental BB.Suit. The goofy-looking cotton onesie is knitted using a special 3D technique that leaves space for WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC connections, turning the owner into an access point. Akkersdijk showed off the potential of the suit at South by Southwest, where it became a roving jukebox: attendees could both track it on Google Maps and upload songs through it to create a special playlist.

SOE put out a short video today showing off the various models and colors of outfits that are in the game, including the sleek sci-fi Colony outfit, the steampunky Victorian outfit, and the utilitarian Adventurer outfit. There's also a "coming soon" teaser at the end with concept art hinting at other types of outfits.

Give it a watch after the break and let us know what you'll be wearing in the game!

Store-bought clothing can be expensive, but not everyone has the talent or patience to make their own attire. That may not be an issue if OpenKnit takes off, though. The open source platform combines an affordable (under $757), build-it-yourself clothing printer with Knitic design software to let you make your own apparel quickly and easily; once you're set up, you just need a template file and some yarn. Aspiring designers can share their creations with the world through Do Knit Yourself. OpenKnit's output is more appropriate for the street than the fashion show catwalk, but it could be ideal for anyone who wants to shake up their style at a moment's notice.

Remember when Google said its wearable would work perfectly fine with prescription glasses? Well it's finally delivered, offering a $225 upgrade option for current Google Glass Explorers. Crafted from titanium (whatever else?), the designs are pretty unassuming and classy: they look like glasses frames you'd see at an optometrist. There's four styles to choose from -- Curve, Thin, Split, Bold -- making the selection sound more like font categories than frame categories. Google Glass then attaches to the frame through several screws. More styles (in other materials and shapes, possibly) are incoming, but the team behind this launch range (the designs were all done in-house at Google) said their aim was simplicity -- it helps that the extra frame-age also helps to obscure the still rather conspicuous Google eye-piece. Early adopters will be able to shop around for frames starting this afternoon and VSP, the largest optical health insurance provider in the US, is working with Google to offer subsidized frames and lenses for those who qualify.